Diurnal and Seasonal Changes in Stem Radius Increment and Sap Flow Density Indicate Different Responses of Two Co-existing Oak Species to Drought Stress.docVIP

Acta Silv. Lign. Hung., Vol. 7 (2011) 97–108 Diurnal and Seasonal Changes in Stem Radius Increment and Sap Flow Density Indicate Different Responses of Two Co-existing Oak Species to Drought Stress a* a b a Ilona MéSZáROS – Péter KANALAS – András FENYVESI – József KIS – a a a Balázs NYITRAI – Erzsébet SZ?LL?SI – Viktor OLáH – Zita DEMETER – ágnes LAKATOS – István ANDERb a a a Department of Botany, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary Section of Cyclotron Applications, Nuclear Research Institute Debrecen, Hungary b Abstract – Using continuous monitoring of stem radius combined with sap flow measurements we assessed the effects of environmental conditions on tree radial growth and water status of two co- existing oak species (Quercus petraea and Quercus cerris) at high resolution time in growing seasons of 2008 and 2009. The forest (95–100 yr) is situated in a xeric site in the transition zone between forested and forest-steppe regions in north-eastern Hungary, Bükk mountains (47 90’N, o 46’E, elevation 320–340 m a.s.l.). Weather conditions in the growing season of 2008 (total rainfall 354 mm, mean daily temperature 17.0 C) was less extreme than in 2009 (total rainfall 20 o o 299 mm, temperature 17.9 C). Rainfall strongly determined the course of radial growth increment o in trees. Radial growth of trees was limited in 2009 due to the drought in spring. The maximum radial increment of both species was achieved three weeks earlier (4 week of June) than in 2008 th (4 th week of July). We used dendrometer monitoring data for estimation of stem (tree) water deficit (?W) by measuring water-related changes in stem radius (Zweifel et al. 2005). The magnitude of tree water deficit variation ( ?W) was always smaller in Q. cerris than in Q. petraea. In contrast, Quercus cerris